1. Field of Invention
The present invention relates to an electrical connection box suitable to be installed on a vehicle, for example an automobile. More particularly, the invention relates to an electrical connection box accommodating an electrical component part, which is fastened to a power distribution element such as a bus bar or an electric wire of the connection box. The invention also relates to a vehicle having such an electrical connection box installed on it.
2. Description of Related Art
Electrical component parts in a vehicle are mounted on a vehicle body, accommodated in an electrical connection box. It is necessary to apply high current to some electrical component parts connected to a battery, an alternator, or the like. It is also necessary to fasten connection terminals of bus bars, electric wires and the like distribution elements to connection terminals of the electrical component parts by bolts or the like.
FIG. 4 shows an example of a conventional electrical connection box 51 accommodating electrical component parts requiring to be fastened to distribution elements. The box 51 has a block body 52, which may be a one-piece molding, an upper case 53 and a lower case 54.
A plurality of component receiving portions 55 are arranged on the upper face 52a of the block body 52. At fastening locations 57 connection terminals 56a of a fusible link 56 of bolt-fastening type are fastened to bus bars 58 by bolts or the like. The fastening locations are on a body portion projecting up from the face 52a which has a socket 55a for receiving fusible links 56. At the fastening locations 57 the insertion direction of a bolt or the like is shown by an arrow F in FIG. 4. Thus, the fastening portion 57 is open laterally with respect to the face 52a to enable the fastening to take place using a bolt or the like.
The upper case 53 is installed on the block body 52 to cover the component part-installing surface 52a. The lower case 54 is installed on the lower face of the block body 52.
However, in this known electrical connection box 51, because the fastening location 57 extends toward the face 52a, the bus bar 58 and the bolt fastened at the fastening location 57 are exposed to the exterior. Consequently, tools or other objects may contact the fastening location 57 during maintenance, which may cause shorting.
Accordingly, it is an object of the present invention to provide an electrical connection box that can reduce risk of accidental contact of objects with a fastening location at which an electrical component part and a distribution element such as a bus bar are connected.
According to the invention there is provided an electrical connection box including:
a body having a face, the body carrying an electrically conductive power distribution element;
a component receiving portion upstanding from the face of the body for receiving, in use, an electrical component and having a fastening location at which, in use, a connection terminal of the electrical component is fastened to the distribution element;
a casing covering the face and the component receiving portion; and
a removable cover covering the fastening location, the removable cover being enclosed within the casing.
In the invention, the fastening location is covered by the cover. Thus, when the casing is removed from the body, the fastening location is not exposed. Accordingly, it is possible to reliably reduce the risk of tools or the like contacting the fastening location during maintenance.
Preferably, the cover has an aperture through which the electrical component projects when installed. The periphery of the aperture may contact the installed electrical component or the component receiving portion.
By this arrangement, the cover can be easily placed in position on the component receiving portion. Further, it is possible to reduce the risk of the installed cover slipping off from the component receiving portion.
Thus the cover is guided by the contact of the periphery of the aperture with the component or the component receiving portion and can be placed in position easily and securely. The cover can be installed easily on the component receiving portion. Moreover, it is possible to reduce the risk of the installed cover being shaken or slipping off from the component receiving portion.
Preferably the cover is located by a recess of the body. It may be locked releasably to the component receiving portion by snap-lock elements.